The Houston Lady Tigers are riding their underdog role all the way to the conference title.
Houston — with a starting lineup of two seniors, two sophomores and a freshman — continued its late-season surge when Kendra Welch hit a pair of free throws with one second left Monday night to give the Lady Tigers a hard-fought 44-42 victory at Willow Springs.
The victory, combined with Salem’s four-point loss at Ava, clinched at least a share of the SCA title for Houston (13-8, 6-0). The Lady Tigers can win the championship outright by beating Salem on the road Thursday night.
“We want to win it outright, we don’t want to back into it,” Houston coach Brent Kell said. “We weren’t supposed to be in this situation, but we are.”
The Lady Tigers have Welch to thank.
Scoreless at the half after missing most of the second quarter with foul trouble, Welch poured in all 19 of her points after the intermission. She scored Houston’s final six points as the Lady Tigers erased a late five-point deficit.
“I can’t say enough about Kendra,” Kell said. “She’s been off a little bit lately. She’s not been feeling well and her knee has been bothering her, but she really stepped up.”
Sophomore Holly Thomas was the only other player in double figures with 13 points and freshman Shelbi Moore scored six. Seniors Lexie and Trezha Malam were held to just six combined points.
Houston, which defeated Willow Springs 51-39 on Jan. 15, led 8-0 after the first quarter. But with Welch and both Malams in foul trouble, the Lady Tigers managed just two second-quarter points. It was tied 10-all at the half and 29-29 entering the fourth quarter.
The Lady Bears (9-13, 2-3) led by five late, but a technical foul on coach Anthony Brantley — he was arguing a blocking foul — swung momentum in Houston’s favor.
Welch drilled a baseline jumper to cut the deficit to two and on the ensuing possession, Lexie Malam stole the ball at halfcourt. She hit Welch for an uncontested layin to make it 42-42.
Houston regained possession when it forced a turnover with 3.4 seconds left. Welch took the inbound pass and was fouled as she dribbled down the sideline. She drained both free throws to complete the Lady Tigers’ comeback.
“It was just a good job of the kids coming together on the road in a hostile environment,” Kell said.
Houston 8 2 19 15 — 44
Willow Springs 0 10 19 13 — 42
HOUSTON — TMalam 1 0-0 2. LMalam 1 1-2 4. Honig 0 0-2 0. Welch 6 4-5 19. Thomas 5 3-6 13. Moore 3 0-0 6. Totals 16 8-15 44.
WILLOW SPRINGS — Hinten 2 2-3 7. Boles 0 1-2 1. LJames 4 2-2 13. MJames 5 1-1 11. Hall 3 4-4 10. Totals 14 10-12 42.
3-pointers: Houston 4 (Welch 3, LMalam); Willow Springs 4 (LJames 3, Hinten).